Reluctant Lover
by gay is pride
Summary: When the new Professor for Potions partners every Gryffindor with a Slytherin, Lavender is partnered with Pansy. Lavender is far from happy about this, but Pansy is curiously content with this turn of events. PansyLavender. Femslash.
1. Prologue

_Warning: This fic contains femslash, that is two females in a sexual and/or romantic relationship. If you dislike this, please don't read it._

x  
x Prologue x  
A Forced Partnership

"Right," barked the sullen old, Professor Bartlett. Her black, hawk eyes took in the students that seemed to fill only half the Potions dungeon. "I doubt many of you know who I am, and you truly don't need to know, but I will tell you that I am an old friend of the Headmistress and am here on favor to her. It is through her hard work that this school is still open, and frankly, I'm surprised there are still this many students here."

She paused and cleared her throat. "Right. Now, as there aren't many here, though the balance from Slytherin and Gryffindor house seems even, that is how you will be split up into partners."

A groan echoed through the walls as she kept silent, waiting for it to fall. Then a hand shot into the air. Her eyes narrowed as she peered into the dark brown eyes of a Gryffindor girl.

"Yes, Ms. Brown?" she asked, not bothering to consult the student list. What the students didn't know, was that she knew each and everyone of their parents, and so it was hard to mistake their children. She held back a laugh as the girl's eyes widened, and her mouth stood agape.

"Er… why do we have to be partnered with another House? Can't we just partner with someone from our own house?"

"Indeed, Miss Brown," she said after pretending to give the suggestion consideration, but then smirked conspiratorially. "That is indeed a wonderful idea. However, I am the teacher here and so, naturally, what I say goes. You will be partnered with someone from another house, and since you so eagerly volunteered, shall we partner you up first, hmm?"

Lavender withdrew her hand from the air and shook her head, but Professor Bartlett had already begun the scan the students on the opposite side of the class. Her lip curled as they landed on a blonde haired girl who idly twirled a piece of gum on her finger, eyes looking up at the ceiling in a bored manner.

"Ah, Miss Parkinson," she said, her voice mockingly sweet. "I do believe that you wouldn't mind being partnered with Miss Brown, would you?"

Pansy's blue eyes lowered as the looked from the old woman to the girl in the first row, now looking up at her, shaking her head, brown eyes petrified. Her lips curled as she looked back up at the woman, and shrugged.

"I don't have a problem with it, Professor," she said, her voice just as sarcastically sweet. Professor Bartlett nodded with a triumphant grin before moving about the class and partnering the rest. Soon they sat next to their partners, most unhappy with their luck. No one was as unhappy as Lavender, and no one was as content as Pansy. She grinned at her partner just as the bell rang, and Lavender nearly tripped as she rushed from the class. By the smile evident on Pansy's face as she made her way out of the classroom, she knew that the year was going to be a very eventful one.


	2. Chapter 1

x Chapter One x  
Inter-House Unity

Lavender was not in a good mood the following morning. She snapped at her roommates, put her robes on backwards, and screwed up a simple spell that caused the small hole in her book bag to widen rather than seal. The thing that set her off the most was when she entered the Great Hall to find that all the house tables were gone and were replaced by one long table in the center of the hall. No way she wanted to sit with those of every single house. Even the professors were seated here, rather than at the staff table.

Making her way over to the table, she tried to scope out Parvarti before remembering that Parvarti's parents hadn't let her, or her twin sister, return. She sighed and found a space between two Hufflepuff girls and a large Slytherin boy, with still space between them. If she was lucky, she wouldn't have to sit by anyone, or she'd eat fast and be gone before anyone sat near her.

No such luck. The moment that she sat down, McGonagall stood and opened her mouth to speak, but not before a loud voice that she knew all too well rang across the hall.

"Sorry I'm late, Professor McGonagall. I was taking a shower."

Lavender's eyes took one peek, only to confirm her guess as they took in the girl, her blonde hair in a short ponytail, a permanent smirk on her face. Why couldn't she just join the Death Eaters and go away?

"By all means, Miss Parkinson," McGonagall said with a curt nod. "Please join us."

Turning her attention to Pansy, Lavender saw the girl smile and nod before her eyes raked the table. Before long, they landed on her and Lavender looked away.

_Look away. She'll go sit somewhere else. No way I'm letting her sit next to me._

"Hey, Brown. You don't mind if I sit here," asked a sickeningly sweet voice near her ear. A shiver ran down her spine and she looked up at the owner of the voice. Sure enough, it was Pansy, her blue eyes twinkling mirthfully, her smirk widening as her pug nose wrinkled slightly. Lavender turned her attention to McGonagall, as if the Headmistress would make the girl sit elsewhere. As it were, McGonagall watched her curiously, as if to see what she would say. Finally, looking down at her plate, she muttered under her breath.

"Fine."

Without a word, Pansy took the seat and McGonagall began to speak.

"Now that Miss Parkinson has decided to join us, I will speak quickly so that you may eat.

"As there are not many of you, I have decided that one table is enough for us to eat our meals at. I feel that it has always been a setback of the schools to separate the students. Now, more than ever, is a time that we need to become united. That is why in classes you will be partnered with those from other Houses, and at meals you will eat with those of other Houses. To give you time away from those students in other Houses, you will still have your House common rooms and dormitories. I urge you to befriend those in other Houses, because it is times like these that the ones who unite and stick together prevail, and those that hold back unto themselves are lost. You may eat."

Lavender began to shovel some eggs and some bacon onto her plate, eating quickly, careful to avoid the girl beside her. As she reached for some sausage, she saw Pansy grinning at her, watching, her plate untouched. Finally, Lavender couldn't take it and glared at her, brown eyes burning into blue.

"What are you staring at!"

The grin on Pansy's face slowly switched into a wide smirk. "You," she said, as if it wasn't the most obvious thing in the world. This caused Lavender's annoyance to grow.

"And why are you staring at me!"

Pansy laughed lightly and shook her head. "You know, I'm really not that hungry. See you in Potions."

Rising from the bench, she stood up from the table. Lavender turned back to her food, relieved. That relief died as Pansy leaned over her shoulder to whisper very quietly into her ear.

"By the way, Brown. I was staring because you're very, _very_ pretty."

By the time Lavender twirled around in her seat, face red with both embarrassment and anger, Pansy was already halfway down the table and heading for the doors.

Why in Merlin's name had she said that? That was the last thing that Lavender wanted to hear come out of Pansy Parkinson's mouth.


End file.
